ENG-2012 — Page 206

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Food Safety, Environmental Hygiene, Agriculture and Fisheries

children under the age of 36 months. Subject to the views received, the Government plans to introduce the relevant legislation in 2013.

The nutrition labelling scheme requires pre-packaged foods, unless exempted, to carry labels that provide information about energy and specified nutrients, and also specifies the conditions for making nutrition claims. The scheme assists consumers to make informed food choices, regulates misleading or deceptive labels and nutrition claims, and encourages food manufacturers to apply sound nutrition principles in the formulation of foods. In 2012, the CFS conducted visual checks on 5,277 pre-packaged food products to ensure that they complied with the statutory '1+7' nutrition-labelling requirements and took 519 food samples for chemical analysis to verify the nutrition information and nutrition claims. The overall compliance rate was 98.62 per cent.

The Food Safety Ordinance came into full operation on 1 February 2012. It introduces a food- tracing mechanism consisting of a registration scheme for food importers and food distributors, and a requirement for food traders to maintain proper transaction records to enhance food traceability.

Measures against Avian Influenza

Hong Kong's measures to keep avian influenza at bay include stringent monitoring of farms and markets, vaccination of chickens and close surveillance of imported and local birds in Hong Kong.

Under an agreement with the Mainland, all poultry (except pigeons) imported from there must be vaccinated against H5 avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu. All live poultry consignments entering Hong Kong must be tested negative for avian influenza before being released for sale. Government veterinarians also visit registered Mainland farms to ensure the food safety of imported poultry.

Keeping chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons, quails and other poultry in backyards is prohibited. Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $100,000. Owners of racing pigeons are required to have exhibition licences. Pet bird traders are required to submit to the health authorities official health certificates, or documents such as invoices showing the places of origin of their birds, or the names and addresses of their suppliers. Sale of birds from unknown sources is prohibited. Bird traders must also keep up-to-date records of their transactions and the number of birds in their possession.

All poultry in public market stalls and fresh provision shops must be slaughtered by 8 pm every day and live poultry are not allowed in these premises between 8 pm and 5 am the next day. Live poultry retailers must ensure that people working in retail outlets wear protective clothing and report immediately to the FEHD any dead poultry found. They must not overstock live poultry on their premises and must affix acrylic panels to their poultry cages to prevent direct contact between customers and the poultry. They are also responsible for preventing customers from touching live poultry.

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